Zuma Rock hosts Zuma Plein Air Week from 2 to 7 November
Published on 10/21/2026 at 12:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSPainting programme and landmark setting
- Zuma Plein Air Week runs beneath Zuma Rock from 2 to 7 November 2026.
- The public Quick Draw competition is scheduled for 6 November 2026.
- Zuma Rock stands in Madalla, Niger State, north of Abuja.
Zuma Rock will host Zuma Plein Air Week from 2 to 7 November 2026 near Abuja, Nigeria. The event website places the outdoor painting convention beneath the monolith and lists a public Quick Draw competition for 6 November.
Zuma Plein Air Week brings painting to the rock
The inaugural six-day programme begins on 2 November with artist arrival, registration and canvas stamping. It continues at Zuma Rock on 3 November, when the programme schedules a full day of painting at the base of the monolith, alongside demonstrations by Nigerian landscape painters.
The remaining programme moves between the landmark and other Abuja settings. Sessions on 4 November focus on city and architecture, while 5 November is reserved for sunset and nocturne painting. The Quick Draw competition takes place on 6 November in a designated zone and is listed as open to public viewing. The programme ends on 7 November with a wet-paint exhibition, awards ceremony, collector previews and a closing celebration. The Zuma Plein Air Week programme also identifies the National Gallery of Art as an endorser and Alliance Française Nigeria as a cultural partner.
Zuma Rock gives the programme its natural subject
The event is built around direct observation of Nigerian landscapes, making the rock more than a named venue. The 3 November paint-out places artists at its base, where the monolith becomes the central subject before the programme turns towards Abuja architecture and night scenes.
The landmark is in Madalla, Niger State, beside the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory and north of Abuja. It is a large monolithic rock formation with a face-like marking on its surface. A regional account describes its position as north of the capital and identifies the site as Zuma Rock in Madalla near Abuja. That setting explains the programme's sequence: the first dedicated session uses the rock itself, while later days broaden the view to the city and its built landmarks.
Six programme days connect landscape and city
The schedule links several kinds of looking. The first day is administrative, the third centres on the rock, and the middle of the week shifts towards architecture, changing light and nocturnal scenes. The final exhibition brings the work made during those sessions together on 7 November.
For visitors, the clearest public-facing part of the programme is the Quick Draw competition on 6 November. The website describes that activity as open to public viewing, while its registration section invites artists, collectors and potential partners to register their interest. The page does not publish transport instructions, regular admission arrangements or daily visitor hours.
Visiting Zuma Rock: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Zuma Plein Air Week runs from 2 to 7 November 2026, with the dedicated Zuma Rock paint-out at the base of the monolith on 3 November.
- The Quick Draw competition on 6 November is the programme item explicitly described as open to public viewing; the other activities have no stated general access arrangements.
- The venue is the Zuma Rock area in Madalla, Niger State, north of Abuja, and the programme describes the 3 November activity as taking place at the base of the rock.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Zuma Rock on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Zuma Rock
When does Zuma Plein Air Week take place at Zuma Rock?
The programme runs from 2 to 7 November 2026. Its dedicated painting day at the landmark is scheduled for 3 November 2026.
What can visitors see at Zuma Rock on 6 November 2026?
The programme lists a Quick Draw competition in a designated zone and describes it as open to public viewing.
Where is Zuma Rock and how do you get there?
The landmark is in Madalla, Niger State, north of Abuja, beside the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory. The event website does not publish transport instructions.
